Blade sharpening device



y 14, 53 R. B. SMITH 2,645,063

BLADE SHARPENING DEVICE- Filed May 28, 1951 S-"ShWtS-Sheet l RICHARD B. SMITH,

INVENTORX ATTORNEYS y 14, 1953 R. B. SMITH 2,645,063

7 BLADE SHARPENING DEVICE Filed May 28, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 RICHARD B. .SM/TH, INVENT OR.

ATTORNEYS July 14, 1953 R. B. SMITH BLADE SHARPENING DEVICE 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed May 28. 1951 14 I. ngnnnn A J --/j RICHARD 12 53 BY fag-"FM ATTORNEYS Patented July 14, 1953 VUNI'TED STATES PATENT OFFICE BLADE SHAR PENING DEVICE Richard B. Smith, Hickory, N. C.

Application May 28, 1951, Serial No. 228,669

7 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved blade sharpening or honing device and its primary object is to provide means for effecting a sharper or keener cutting edge on knives, razor blades and the likethan has heretofore been possible, thisysharper or keener cutting edge bein effected by attenuating or stretching the molecular structure of the cutting edge as it is being sharpened or honed.

. vIt is another object of this invention to provide a sharpening or honing device comprising an abrasive member, preferably in the form of rotatable drum or cylinder having an adjustably mounted permanent magnet adjacent the surface of the abrasive member opposite the abrasive surface thereof whereby, upon a blade being positioned against the abrasive surface of the abrasive member, and relative movement being eifected between the blade and the abrasive member, the magnet will cause certain of the infinitesimal molecules of the blade bein sharpened to be attenuated or stretched under the influence of the magnet to thereby provide an unusually sharp or keen cutting edge. The cutting edge eifected in the cutting blade by the magnet is commonly termed as being produced by magnetostriction.

An explanation of the theory of magnetostriction is set forth in pages 109 and 200 of a book entitled Magnetic Phenomena, first edition, by Samuel Robinson Williams, PH. D., D. 80., Professor of Physics, AmherstCollege. This book was published by McGraw-Hill Book Company, Inc., New York, and was copyrighted 1931.

It is still another object of this invention to provide an improved sharpening or honing. device comprising a cylinder or drum having a nonmagnetic abrading material on. the outer peripheral surface thereof and also having means for imparting rotation to the drum.

The device is also provided with a frame having a slotted blade guiding member mounted for adjustment thereon in order to vary the angle at which the blade engages the corresponding peripheral surface ofthe drum and the frame also has mounted thereon a substantially U- shaped magnet, the poles of which are adjustable about acommon axis, said common axis being disposed between the axis of the drum and the inner periphery of the drum in order to provide for minute adjustment of the magnet relative to the corresponding surface of the drum. This magnet is also adjustable about the axis of the drum to therebyposition the magnet in any position and 'at any desired attitude relative to the periphery of the drum. The blade guiding 2 member is also adjustable about the axis of the drum for the convenience of the operator so the cutting edge of the 'blade being sharpened may be positioned at any desired angle relative to the corresponding peripheral surface of the drum.

Some of the objects of the invention having been stated, other objects will appear as the description proceeds when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is an isometric view of one form of the improved sharpening or honing device, this form being adapted to be associated with an electric motor, and to be used to sharpen relatively long blades such as knives and the like;

Figure 2 is an elevation of the device looking at the right-hand end of Figure l but being shown at a reduced scale;

Figure 3 is an elevation looking at the lefthand side of Figure 1; s

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially along the line 4-4 in Figure 2;v

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially along the line 55 in Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a side elevation of a modified form of sharpening or honing device whichis hand operated and is adapted to be used for sharpening or honing relatively short blades such as razor blades and the like;

Figure 7 is an elevation looking at the righthand side of Figure 6;

Figure 8 is an elevation looking at the lefthand side of Figure 6;

Figure 9 is a top plan view of the device shown in Figure 6;

Figure 10 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view taken along the line Ill-l0 in Figure 9;

Figure 11 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken along the line H-I l in Figure 9.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, the letter T indicates a table or platform upon which this improved sharpening device is adapted to be mounted. Suitably secured to the table T is an electric motor l0 having electric wires II and I2 extending therefrom to a suitable source of electrical energy, not shown. The motor I0 is adapted to drive the improved sharpening device and is connected thereto by an adjustable coupling l3 which secures the motor shaft to a sharpening device shaft [4.

Referring to Figure 4, it will be noted that the right-hand end of the shaft I4 is threaded to receive a pair of lock nuts [5 and It which confine on the shaft M a sealed'ball bearing 20, a spacer 2|, a cylindrically-shaped abrading Wheel or drum 22 and a washer 23. The outer peripheral surface 24 of the abrading wheel should be treated or coated with a non-magnetizable abrasive or honing material of the desired type for grinding or honing the workpiece, such as cutlery and the like. It is obvious that, as the lock nut 16 is tightened on the shaft M, the inner race of the ball bearing 26 will be pulled against the spacer 2! to thereby clamp the abrading wheel 22 between the spacer 2i and the washer 23 to thereby secure the drum 22 to the shaft [4.

The outer race of the ball bearing 20 has fixedly mounted thereon, as by a pressed fit, one end of a sleeve member which extends to the right in Figure 4 and is secured by any suitable means such as a set screw 26, in a boss portion 21 of a standard 30. The standard extends downwardly and is secured on the table T by any suitable means such as a screw 3|. It is thus seen that, as the motor shaft rotates along with the shaft Hi, the end of the shaft l4 remote from the motor and which is rotatably mounted in the standard 30 causes the drum 22 to rotate about the sleeve 25 which is fixed to the standard 30.

An upwardly extending blade guide support arm 33 is adjustably secured at its lower end to the standard 36 by any suitable manner such as by a wing nut 34 and a bolt 35, the support arm being provided with an adjustment slot 30a which is slidably penetrated by the bolt 35. The support arm 33 extends upwardly in Figures 1, 2 and 3 and has a blade guide 36 adjustably secured thereto as by a screw 3? and a Wing nut 31a. The blade guide 36 is formed from a relatively thin material bent over itself and cut away to form a blade guiding slot 38.

It is thus seen that by adjustment of the blade guide support arm 33 about or transversely of the screw 35 and by adjustment of the blade guide 36 about the screw 31, the blade can be positioned at any desired angle relative to the tangent of the periphery of the drum 22 depending upon the type of blade being sharpened.

A pair of substantially semi-circular clamping members 43 and 44 are oscillatably mounted on the sleeve 25 and held in frictional engagement therewith by a tension spring 46, opposed ends of which are connected, as'at 4| and 42, to the clamping arms 43 and 44 which are pivotally interconnected as at 45. The clamping member 43 in Figure 5 has an upwardly extending portion 46 which has a channel-shaped magnet supporting member 41 integral therewith in which a permanent magnet 50 may be adjustably and clampingly secured by any suitable means such as a bolt 5|.

It is thus seen that the blade guide 36 may be located in any convenient position for the operator by loosening the wing nut 34 and rotating the blade guide support arm 33 in either direction about the screw 35, this screw 35 preferably being positioned in axial alinement with the shaft [4. Also, the blade guide 36 may be positioned at any desired angle relative to the tangent of the periphery of the abrading wheel or drum 22 by loosening the wing nut 31a and then tightening the same after the desired adjustment of the blade guide 36 has been effected. The slot 30a in the lower end of the blade guide support arm 33 is provided to permit the blade guide 36 to be moved radially of the abrading wheel or drum 22 since it is evident that the steeper the angle of the blade guide 36 relative to the tangent of the abrading wheel 22, the further the blade guide 4 36 should be positioned from the periphery 24 of the abrading wheel 22.

It is also evident that the operator may rotate the substantially semi-circular clamping members 43 and 44 about the sleeve 25 in order to position the magnet 50 the desired distance forwardly of the blade guide 36. Also, in order to provide for accurate adjustment of the polarity of the magnet 50 relative to the blade guide 36 and the periphery of the abrading wheel 22, the bolt 5| may be loosened to permit the operator to position the poles of the magnet 56 as desired after which the bolt 5| may be tightened to clamp the magnet 50 between the flanges of the substantially channel-shaped magnet supporting member 41.

The motor 10 could then be energized to cause rotation to be imparted to the abrading wheel 22 in a clockwise direction in Figures 1, 2 and 5 following which the operator may pass the blade through the slot 38 in the blade guide 36 in a reciprocatory manner with the cutting edge of the blade engaging the periphery of the abrading wheel 22. Due to magnetostriction, the molecules of the blade at the edge thereof will be attenuated or drawn out due to the magnetic attraction of the adjacent pole of the magnet 50 to thereby produce an extremely keen edge on the blade being sharpened.

It is evident that the blade being sharpened should be of a ferromagnetic substance such as iron, cobalt, manganese alloy, steel or the like, in order that the molecules thereof may be attracted by the magnet 50.

By way of example, page 109, Figure 86 of said book entitled Magnetic Phenomena shows a graph which illustrates the manner in which ferromagnetic substances change their length in a magnetic field. Two extremes illustrated are that of nickel and manganese alloy which indicates that nickel contracts under the influence of a magnetic field while, on the other hand, manganese alloy elo'ngates.

It is to be understood that the abrasive surface 24 of the abrading wheel 22 may be coated with any suitable non-ferrous or non-magnetizable particles of any degree of roughness as desired or, as a matter of fact, the peripheral surface of the abrading wheel 22 may be covered with leather or a plastic material for honing extremely sharp edges of blades such as are employed in cutlery and the like.

Modified form Referring to Figures 6 to 11, inclusive, there will be observed a modified form of my invention, this modified form being particularly adapted for use in a home or for sharpening and noning razor blades and the like. The numeral 60 broadly designates a substantially U-shaped frame having a horizontally extending base portion 6|, and upwardly extending side members 62 and 63. The upwardly extending side members 62 and 63 have vertically extending slots 64 and 65, respectively, therein which are adapted to receive a rotatable shaft 66.

Referring to Figure 10, it will be noted that the left-hand end of the shaft 66 has a collar 61 fixedly mounted thereon which is cut away to form a cam surface 16 and which has a handle H fixedly mounted therein. Referring to Figure 8, it will be observed that the side member 63 of the substantially U-shaped frame 60 is rovided with a raised ca'm member 12 which is adapted to, at times, be engaged by the cam sur- "face won the collar 61 for purposes to be presently described and, at times, will ride upon the cam member 12 to move the drum 15 along with the shaft 66 from right to left in Figures 6, 9 and 10, for purposes to be later described. I

Adjacent the top edges of the side members 62 and 63 of the U-shaped bracket 60 is a shaft 80 in the form of a bolt having a nut 8| on the right-hand end thereof for securing the bolt in the slots 64 and 65. oscillatably mounted on the bolt 80 between the side members 62 and 63 of the U-shaped bracket 60 is a sleeve 82 having an enlarged left-hand end portion 83 which Q has a plurality of spaced holes 84 in the periphery thereof. The holes 84 are adapted to slidably receive a pin 85 which is normally urged against an inwardly extending pin 86 fixedly mounted in the side member 63 by a torsion spring 81. One end of the torsion spring 81 is connected to the side member 62 and the spring 81 encircles the sleeve 82 and is connected at its other end, as at 90, to the sleeve 82 to thus urge the sleeve 82 in a counter-clockwise direction (Figure 11) and to thereby urge the pin 85 in the enlarged portion 83 of the sleeve 82 against the pin 86 in the side member 63. Secured by any suitable means, as by welding, to the sleeve 82 is a blade guiding member 9| having a slot 92 therein for loosely receiving a razor blade or the like to be sharpened.

It is thus seen that by positioning the pin 85 in different holes 84 in the enlarged portion 83 of the sleeve 82, the angle at which the blade guide 9| is disposed relative to a line tangent to the outer periphery of the drum I5 may be varied in accordance with the angle at which the cutting edge of a blade placed in the slot 92 of the blade guide 9| may have previously been ground. The blade then rests against the drum or cylinder 15.

The right-hand end of the drum 15 is open and there is oscillatably mounted on the shaft 66 inside the drum 15 a substantially U-shaped magnet 95 which is shown as a permanent magnet in the drawings. The angle at which the magnet 95 is positioned on the shaft 66 relative to the blade guiding member 9| may be varied in a manner to be presently described.

The side member 62 has an arcuate slot 96 therein which is slidably penetrated by a screw 91 on which a lock nut 98 is mounted and this screw 91 is threadably embedded at its inner end in the magnet 95 as is clearly shown in Figures 10 and 11. The lock nut is normally tightened against the side member 62 and when it is desired to vary the position of the magnet 95, the lock nut 98 is loosened on the screw 91 and the screw 91 may then be moved in either direction about the axis of the shaft 66 for positioning the magnet 95 in the desired position relative to the blade guiding member 9|.

If desired, the side member 62 may be provided with suitable graduations I00 to indicate certain 6 positions-of the magnet, which positions may be predetermined in accordance with the particular hole 84in the enlarged portion 83 of the shaft 82 in which the pin may be disposed. It is evident that the outer peripheral surface of the drum [5 may be treated in the manner described for the drum 22 as desired.

In operation, a razor blade or the like is inserted in the slot 92 in the blade guide 9| with the sharp edge thereof resting, by gravity, against the abrading wheel or drum 15. The angle at which the blade would rest against the periphery of the drum 15 may then be determined by positioning the pin 85 in the desired hole 84 in the enlarged portion 83 of the sleeve 82 since the pin 85 would be urged against the pin 89 in the side member 63 by the torsion spring 81.

The operator then turns the handle H to impart rotation and reciprocatory longitudinal movement to the drum 15 to sharpen the blade inserted in the blade guide 9|. As heretofore stated, the drum 15 is caused to reciprocate due to the cam surface 10 on the collar 6! alternately engaging the cam member 12 on the side member 53.

It is evident that the magnet would attract the molecules at the edge of the blade thus causing the molecules of the blade to be stretched or elongated to thereby produce an extremely keen edge on the blade in substantially the same manner as that described for the original form of the invention. a

It is thus seen that I have provided improved devices for sharpening and honing blades wherein a magnet is provided with means for varying the effective polarity of the magnet'relative to the blade being sharpened in such a manner as to extend or elongate the molecules of the blade being sharpened at the sharpened edge thereof to thereby sharpen the blade to a keenness superior to that effected in blades heretofore in use.

In the drawings and specification, there have been set forth preferred embodiments of the invention and although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being defined in the claims.

I claim:

1. An improved device for sharpening razor blades, knives and the like, comprising a rotatable drum having an abrasive outer surface,

means for imparting rotation to the drum, a

magnet disposed within the drum, means for varying the position of the magnet about the axis of the drum, said magnet being substantially U- shaped and having its poles normally extending outwardly relative to the axisof the drum, a slotted blade guide disposed adjacent the outer periphery of said drum and means for adjusting the blade guide as to angularity relative to the periphery of the drum and for adjusting the blade guide relative to the magnet disposed within said drum whereby, upon rotation being imparted to the drum, a blade may be inserted in said slotted blade guide with the edge of the blade resting against the periphery of said drum and said magnet may be positioned within the drum forwardly of the point at which the blade engages the periphery of the drum relative to the direction of rotation of said drum to thereby sharpen the blade while sumultaneously causing the edge of the blade to be attracted by the magnet for attenuating the molecules therein to thereby effect a keen edge to the blade.

2. In a structure according to claim 1, said device having a frame, said blade guide comprising a shaft having a slotted member fixed thereon in which the blade is adapted to be inserted, means for adjusting the displacement between the shaft and the periphery of the drum and means on the shaft for predetermining the angle at which the slot in the slotted member extends relative to the periphery of the drum.

3. An improved apparatus for sharpening blades comprising a hollow abrading wheel having an abrasive outer peripheral surface thereon, a bracket, a shaft rotatably mounted in said bracket and on which the abrading wheel is fixedly mounted, means for imparting rotation to the shaft and the abrading wheel, a slotted blade guide member disposed adjacent the peripheral surface of the abrading wheel adjacent the upper surface thereof, a magnet disposed within the hollow abrading wheel and adjacent the surface thereof remote from the abrasive surface, a support for the magnet frictionally mounted on said bracket to facilitate adjustment of said magnet on said bracket for varying the position of the magnet relative to the blade guide member, andmeans carried by the bracket for supporting the slotted blade guide member whereby the blade to be sharpened may be placed in said blade guide member with the cutting edge thereof resting against the abrasive surface of the abrading wheel and, upon rotation of said abrading wheel, the magnet will cause the molecules of the blade at its cutting edge to be attenuated while sharpening the blade.

4. In a structure according to' claim 3, said support for the magnet being adjustable about an axis substantially the same as that of said shaft and means connecting the magnet to said I support for adjustment of said magnet about an axis spaced radially of but parallel to the axis of said support.

5. An improved apparatus for sharpening blades, comprising a frame, a hollow abrading wheel mounted for rotation on said frame about a horizontal axis, means for rotating said abrading wheel, a slotted blade guide member carried by said frame and disposed adjacent the outer peripheral surface of the abrading wheel, the outer peripheral surface of said abrading wheel having an abrasive thereon, a substantially U- shaped magnet disposed within the hollow abrading wheel, means for adjusting the slotted blade guide member relative to the periphery of the abrading wheel, and means for adjusting the magnet about the axis of the abrading wheel for varying the position of the poles of said magnet relative to the blade guide member whereby the blade to be sharpened may be placed in said blade guide member with the cutting edge thereof resting against the outer peripheral abrasive surface of the abrading wheel and, upon rotation of the abrading wheel, the magnet will cause the molecules of the blade at its cutting edge to be attenuated while sharpening the blade.

6. In a structure according to claim 5, means for supporting the slotted blade guide member on the frame comprising a shaft fixedly mounted in the frame, a tubular member oscillatably mounted on said shaft and to which the blade guide member is secured, spring means normally urging the tubular member in one direction, said tubular member having an enlarged portion thereon provided with a plurality of radially extending bores in the periphery thereof, a pin adapted to be slidably inserted in any one of said bores in the enlarged portion of the tubular member, and a projection on the frame against which the pin inserted in a corresponding bore in the enlarged portion of the tubular member is urged by said spring means to thus predetermine the angle of the blade guide member relative to the periphery of the abrading wheel.

7. An improved apparatus for sharpening blades, comprising a frame, a hollow abrading wheel mounted for rotation in said frame about a horizontal axis, means for rotating said abrading wheel, a slotted blade guide member carried by said frame and disposed adjacent the outer peripheral surface of the abrading wheel, the outer peripheral surface of said abrading wheel having an abrasive thereon, a substantially U- shaped magnet disposed within the hollow abrading wheel, means for adjusting the slotted blade guide member relative to the periphery of the abrading Wheel, means for adjusting the magnet about the axis of the abrading wheel for varying the position of the poles of said magnet relative to the blade guide member whereby the blade to be sharpened may be placed in said blade guide member with the cutting edge thereof resting against the outer peripheral abrasive surface of the abrading wheel and, upon rotation of the abrading wheel, the magnet will cause the molecules of the blade at its cutting edge to be attenuated while sharpening the blade, means for supporting the magnet comprising a shaft carried by said frame and disposed in substantial axial alinement with the axis of the abrading wheel, said frame having at least one side member disposed adjacent the corresponding end of the abrading wheel and said corresponding end of the abrading wheel being opened, said substantially U-shaped magnet being oscillatably mounted on said shaft, said side member adjacent the open end of said abrading wheel having an arcuate slot therein, means slidably penetrating said arcuate slot and being secured at one end thereof to said magnet in off-center relation to the axis of the magnet whereby said means penetrating the arcuate slot in the side member may be manipulated by an operator for varying the position of the magnet relative to the slotted guide member, and means for looking the means slidably penetrating the arcuate slot in the side member in a desired position.

RICHARD B. SMITH.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 526,571 Gosling Sept. 25, 1894 617,783 Smith Jan. 17, 1899 819,578 McCoy May 1, 1906 1,070,051 Marechal Aug. 12, 1913 1,457,399 Simone June 5, 1923 1,588,322 McAdoo June 8, 1926 1,832,539 Ezzell Nov. 17, 1931 1,962,120 Bickart June 12, 1934 2,007,967 Gardner July 16, 1935 2,056,182 Gardner Oct. 6, 1936 2,495,910 Syfert Jan. 31, 1950 

